


Better Days

by IdrisSmith



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon compliant-ish, F/M, I live for Mystrade dammit, Mentioned of Mystrade, Mofftiss shoulda known not to throw a bone like that, Post Series Four, Post TFP, Post series 4, Sherlolly - Fluff, Sherlolly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 21:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9344765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdrisSmith/pseuds/IdrisSmith
Summary: When the rain clouds clear, they start to deal with the aftermath of what a short year had brought. Together, as family, Baker Street had never been livelier. Even more so with revelation that Sherlock had a heart after all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Rhiannon_A_Christy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhiannon_A_Christy/pseuds/Rhiannon_A_Christy) for BETA-ing this. This is a story I just couldn't get out of my head after that what...a second worth of appearance of Molly? Yeah, Molly would always have that effect on me. Really, endless thanks to her for offering, BETA-ing this quickly and off the bat.

He noticed her the moment she walked through the door. That was really true, he noticed her the moment he heard the gentle tapping of her footsteps and his heart went into overdrive. Molly Hooper arrived not a moment too soon after his text – as prompt as ever, yet her attention was not immediately on him. Instead, it was stolen by the gurgling Rosie Watson who was due to celebrate her first birthday in a couple of days.

 

"Molly," John said happily as Lestrade walked out of the door, annoyed that his pleas for Sherlock to help with a case went on being ignored. "Fancy seeing you here. Didn't know you were coming."

 

"Oh, I-" Molly stuttered.

 

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "I texted her to come, we have a planning to do for Rosie's first birthday."

 

"Really, Sherlock, I could use the help," Lestrade said as he strolled back in, obviously, he hadn't even made it two steps down the stairs before coming back in.

 

Sherlock arched an eyebrow, prompting the DI to throw his hands up and sink into the nearest couch out of frustration, muttering the word 'twat' under his breath. They both knew it was a game, Sherlock would decline and eventually show up anyway. That was just how their relationship worked, always had.

 

"Oh God, I thought we promised not to do anything excessive," John replied, sighing and ignoring Lestrade and his predicament as he handed Rosie over. "...Molly." The toddler seemed ever eager to reach for her Godmother.

 

"Nonsense, it's her first. We should at least decorate the flat," Sherlock declared, bouncing away to retrieve his laptop. He turned only slightly to catch a glimpse of Molly blowing raspberries on Rosie's stomach. The child's delightful laugh filled the room. His hand was quick, typing something away on the keyboard, but managed to keep Molly just in his line of vision. Unbeknownst to him, his actions were carefully studied by one man in the room. The only person who didn't have his eyes on the little Rosie Watson.

 

"Oh, my God!" Lestrade exclaimed suddenly, prompting Sherlock to look up from the screen and to the excited detective who was gesturing between him and Molly. Suddenly he wished Lestrade had actually left. "The two of you?"

 

"Who?" Sherlock asked, though he knew it was already a lost cause. Greg had caught on to something and for the first time ever he was far too accurate in his deduction that Sherlock couldn't nit-pick it. He couldn't even play it up, not without risking hurting the person he loved. He cursed Mycroft silently for teaching Lestrade his tells.

 

"Wait, hang on," John said, as always, confused. "What am I missing here?"

 

Lestrade let out a hearty laugh. "Good God, I never thought I’d see the day"

 

"Still confused," John said, scrunching his eyebrows together, hoping someone would explain to him what was happening.

 

"Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock 'body is just transport' Holmes is doing it with her, Molly Hooper," Lestrade replied, falling into another bout of laughter.

 

Sherlock noticed it, the obvious tinge of red at the tip of Molly's ears and the quickly reddening expanse of skin under the collar of her shirt. It didn't go as well as he had planned. Well, it wasn't as if he was planning on an announcement. He was more or less planning to ease into the idea of Molly and him seeing each other romantically. It wasn’t a big deal or so he told himself, he just wanted everyone to be okay with them. It mattered to him because he very much doubted anyone in the room would ever believe that he could deserve Molly.

 

Mrs Hudson was already beaming and squealing at the idea. Of course, she, like the rest in the room, had been unaware of the change in the relationship status of Sherlock and Molly. Sherlock had been careful, they had never stayed at Baker Street and for the past two weeks, he had only stayed over at Molly's flat five times. He hadn't actually had meant to keep it a secret. It was just...it was new. And if Sherlock was honest, he really just wanted Molly for himself for a few weeks before their friends started to interfere.

 

It was bad enough he had ended up freezing his balls off just two days before. John had shown up at Molly’s flat unannounced with Rosie after being called in for an emergency. He had ended up having to jump out of the window of her flat just to avoid their mutual friend.

 

_'Oh, sod it,'_ he thought.

 

"Problem, Geoff?" Sherlock asked, arching an eyebrow. He should be disgusted that his friend was sleeping with his brother - which was a new development as well, but strangely, he wasn't. In fact, he had liked it that he could throw jabs at Mycroft and Lestrade at the same time. Jabs which he now expected would be returned in full now that his relationship with Molly had come to light.

 

"Mycroft's gonna love this!" Lestrade was still laughing.

 

John was finally catching up. "When did this start? Not that I'm complaining if the Godparents of my daughter are dating, but..."

 

"Right after we returned from Sherrinford," Sherlock replied with a sigh. "And to answer the obvious question you're not going to ask because unlike Goran here, you have beside manners. Yes, it is serious."

 

Sherlock turned to smile at Molly and beckoned her to join him. Which she did, sitting just at the edge of his seat while carefully holding Rosie to her chest. She was awfully quiet as she was clearly assessing their friends and their take on the news. Molly was never good at the whole keeping secrets bit. Sure, she had kept a few, but never something to this magnitude. "And Gerrard, Mycroft already knows."

 

That stopped Lestrade from laughing and exclaimed. "Son of a bitch!"

 

To which John, shouted, "language!"

 

And Molly with her appalled, "Greg!"

 

Last but not least, Mrs Hudson who was laughing as she sauntered into the kitchen, no doubt to make more tea, leaving everyone to their own devices. Not caring of the repercussion of the news of the new relationship status between Sherlock and Molly.

 

"I can assure you, Gavin," Sherlock said with an upturned smile. "My mother is not and has never been, a bitch."

 

"Fuc-"

 

"Language!" John got in a word before Lestrade could finish and turned to Sherlock. "You're an utter...” the doctor smiled, “you're a piece of something, Sherlock."

 

"I know." Sherlock smirked.

 

"Molly," John looked towards the pathologist, shaking his head but his smile hadn’t left his lips. "I know you can take care of yourself. But if this tit screws it up, I'll gladly beat the hell out of him."

 

"I can lock him up and throw away the key," Lestrade offered, having sobered up a little. "Myc would help."

 

It was easy to see, how Molly was affected by John's words. There were tears in her eyes. She appreciated that she had somehow gained a place in these people's lives. More so that she had someone willing to defend her, even if she could look after herself just fine. She wasn't alone anymore, Sherlock realized, he endeavoured to never make her feel that way ever again. Never to make her feel like she needed to be practical about growing old or planning everything on her lonesome. No, he wouldn’t allow her to be lonely.

 

"Th-thank you, John. Greg." Molly stifled away a sob.

 

Rosie's squealing and laughter broke the tense moment. They were all glad to have a distraction as they returned to their doting on the infant. Mrs Hudson joined them with a fresh pot, winking at both Molly and Sherlock as if she had known something all along.

 

Hours later when all their friends excused themselves and Mrs Hudson left to take her herbal soothers, Sherlock carefully pulled Molly to him.

 

"Stay."

 

"Are you sure?" Molly asked, looking up at Sherlock's features, their bodies still pressed close.

 

"I don't like sleeping alone," Sherlock confessed. "And my bed is bigger than yours."

 

"It's still early, Sherlock," Molly giggled. She tried to pull away but Sherlock only tightened his arms around her. "We still have to plan for Rosie's birthday, since you insist it to be a grand event."

 

"Hmm..." he mumbled, leaning into her, placing soft, small kisses on her neck and shoulder. "Later, we can do that later."

 

"Sherlock," Molly reprimanded softly, putting a stop to Sherlock’s ministration. "Are you alright with this? With everyone knowing?"

 

"Are you?" Sherlock asked instead of answering, throwing back the question at Molly. "We both know it is likelier for you to be embarrassed to be seen with me than I you."

 

"I'm not," Molly said hastily. "I could never. I love you, I can never be embarrassed of someone I love."

 

Sherlock smiled widely at Molly's confession. "I do love you, Molly Hooper."

 

"Okay," she replied with a small smile, easing herself from Sherlock's embrace but stayed within his arms reach. It had been a bizarre afternoon and their friends had more or less accepted it. But they both knew that it was only the first hurdle.

 

And Sherlock knew he would face each and every one of them, bravely, with Molly by his side. It was better, definitely better when she was there. He had the taste of what it would feel like to be at risk of losing her. To picture a world without her and he didn't like it one bit. So, whatever demons that Mycroft had talked of walking underneath them all, they could all be damned. For Molly, he was willing to do anything.

 

He bored his gazed onto her, catching a small smile that was playing at the edge of her lips. He knew how to spend his life now. The currency of his life which Mary had traded her own life with. He could even almost see her, sitting comfortably on a couch like she always had and Mary was smiling back at him.

 

_'Be happy, Sherlock.'_

 

He knew she was an image, a figment of his imagination. Yet when she faded from view, he very nearly missed his best friend.

 

"You okay?" Molly asked when she noticed he was far away.

 

He smiled at her. "Yeah, remembering an old friend."

 

She didn't ask who it was. Like always, she just knew without him having to spell it out for her. And she didn't ask him anything else, she was just simply there for him, squeezing his hand in hers for comfort.

 

"I am rather tired," she said after a while. He almost missed it, the twinkle in her eyes. Fortunately, he didn't and his grin grew wide. Oh, he definitely loved her.

 

"Now, can we go to bed?"


End file.
